Best codec within Resolve environment

I am sure this has been asked many times but I am wondering about current suggested workflows. My iPhone and Osmo Action cameras both provide H.264 source 4K video. Do I need to convert my clips to ProRes 422 before importing into Divinci Resolve Studio? Or would not not converting and importing my source clips as H.264 be OK during my editing? I am wondering which codec format Divinci Resolve performs best with source 4K media. Mac Resolve platform here.

Best choices ate prores 422 and dnx equivalent

In addition to ProRes and DNxHR Cineform works good as well.

Transcoding will not add any detail not in the original camera footage. But there may be other reasons driven by your system hardware.

As a quick rule of thumb, your GPU card should have 4GB of dedicated memory for HD footage and 8GB for UHD. Since your GPU has only 4GB, you may get GPU Memory errors. So you may need to transcode to lower resolution using another app.

Another issue is that h.264 and h.265 takes more processor power to decode. If you had a recent NVIDIA card with DR Studio, the decoder is hardware accelerated. DR can be set up to generate optimized media which is less tasking on your hardware so you don't have video freezing while editing.

Your Iphone records variable framerates no nles likes variable framerates ! You can use handbrake to convert your recordings to constant framerates ! You can get an app filmic pro for your Iphone - so you can record with constant framerates !

I have had no issues with iphone frame rates or importing into DR. iPhone: XR 4K 30FPS camera setting.

I recommend the Optimized Media route, using Cineform YUV 10 bit at 1/4 resolution.

Another issue is that h.264 and h.265 takes more processor power to decode. If you had a recent NVIDIA card with DR Studio, the decoder is hardware accelerated.

Let's this not go unsaid: his Radeon Pro should accelerate decoding and encoding of h.264 and h.265 as well.

Another issue is that h.264 and h.265 takes more processor power to decode. If you had a recent NVIDIA card with DR Studio, the decoder is hardware accelerated.

Let this not go unsaid: his Radeon Pro should accelerate decoding and encoding of h.264 and h.265 as well.

The problem is not just the frame decoding complexity for complex CODECs like H.264 and H.265 compared to simple CODECs like Cineform, DNxHR, and ProRes.

This is of minor influence compared to the problem of dealing with long GOP encodings in an NLE because long GOP encodings require multiple frames to encode just one frame. This is the largest issue if your footage is H.264/265 and encoded long GOP.

Just pick the one you like https://blog.frame.io/2017/02/13/50-intermediate-codecs-compared/

We always use Cineform since it's the lowest on resources (compute and storage) at an equal quality.

Just pick the one you like https://blog.frame.io/2017/02/13/50-intermediate-codecs-compared/

We always use Cineform since it's the lowest on resources (compute and storage) at an equal quality.

I'm curious about these results. I recently tried Cineform 10 bit YUV, but was not able to achieve real time playback on my machine.
I found that the DNxHD HQX codec worked much better for me. I wonder why that would be, since from my understanding cineform should perform better shouldn't it?

I'm curious about these results. I recently tried Cineform 10 bit YUV, but was not able to achieve real time playback on my machine.
I found that the DNxHD HQX codec worked much better for me. I wonder why that would be, since from my understanding cineform should perform better shouldn't it?

At the same quality level, Cineform uses less compute resources than ProRes or DNx.

At the same quality level, Cineform uses less compute resources than ProRes or DNx.

Yes, that's why I don't understand why I was able to achieve relatively smooth playback with DNx, but not with Cineform.

Quality level the same? There are some low bitrate DNX options that do give good performance.

BTW, keep in mind the difference in use case between intermediates and proxies, and also that there are two different ways to make proxies: automatic through "optimized media" and "roll your own." In the latter case you could use almost anything as long as it is lightweight enough (e.g. low bitrate h264 from GPU acceleration ASIC.)

I recently tried Cineform 10 bit YUV, but was not able to achieve real time playback on my machine.

At what resolution?

Were any effects in use?

Btw, from your source, prores 422hq is plenty, if we're talking about "best" codec, then the answer can be different: cineform, dpx or the might exr...

I recently tried Cineform 10 bit YUV, but was not able to achieve real time playback on my machine.

At what resolution?

Were any effects in use?

I'll have to retest this to make sure. But I believe I tried Cineform at 1080p, and DNx HQX also at 1080p.
No effects, just dropped some clips into the timeline, but the cineform optimized media was dropping frames, so I deleted and regenerated in DNx.

I'll retest to make sure and post back.

We don't get to pick a specific resolution for Optimized Media, only a ratio.

Choose 1/4 resolution.